1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a server apparatus and a system. More particularly, the present invention relates to: a server apparatus, which communicates, via a network, with a terminal device to transmit image data to the terminal device; and a system, which includes the server apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, among server apparatuses used as an apparatus on a network, there is a server apparatus, which is called an image server. The image server accumulates and manages a large amount of image data and, in response to a request from a terminal device connected to the network, transmits requested image data to a terminal device serving as a request source. When the image server is provided on the network, even if a user does not accumulate a large amount of image data at each terminal device, the user can fetch necessary image data from the image server as needed.
In an input device, such as a scanner or a digital camera, for inputting image data and an output device, such as a monitor, a printer, or a proofer for outputting image data, a color image is expressed by a format particular to each device. In order to match colors among these devices, in general, a color conversion process called color matching is performed by using profile data, such as an ICC profile, expressing color expression characteristics of the respective input/output devices.
Therefore, in order to use image data fetched from the image server, for example, when image data obtained by photographing with a digital camera is fetched from the image server and printed by a printer, a color conversion process which color-converts the image data from RGB color system data into CMYK color system data by referring to the respective profile data of the digital camera and the printer, is required. Depending on the circumstances, image processes such as a resolution conversion process, a magnification conversion process, and a rotating process are also performed.
For example, as a technique for performing the color conversion processes, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 10-276294 discloses the following: various device profiles and color management modules are prepared in a server on a network, the server fetches a device profile and a color management module based on selection information of the device profiles and color management modules input from a terminal and performs a color matching process to input image data, so that color matching is realized in the network system.
However, when conventional techniques are applied to an image server, image data, which has been color-converted, is provided to a user. For this reason, even though the user has provided the various device profile data the server cannot cope with a case in which, for example, the user wants to perform color conversion of the image data by using the device profile data at a terminal side. In addition, the user can perform only color conversion of the image data; resolution conversion, magnification conversion, rotation, and the like must be performed at the terminal side, and the user cannot fetch the image data which can be immediately used.